Arranged
by Anna Lisa Bradford
Summary: Being as frustrated as he is not having a woman to share his bed with in at night, Shanks has decided to get married. However, marital life isn't as easy as it seems, especially since the bride is Mihawk's daughter. ShanksxOC. Please R&R.
1. Chapter 1

Arranged

By Calypso Calista

Disclaimer: I don't own One Piece. I do, however, own Mihawk's daughter, Calypso.

Chapter One

It was a cool night on the water, and, despite the gentle rocking of the waves, Shanks was tossing and turning in his bed. Of course, being sexually frustrated will do that to any man. The problem was, there was no women aboard the ship. Not a single one. And it was driving him crazy. He'd, of course, heard of other ways to relieve such frustration. However, as attractive as Ben was to the ladies, he wasn't about to test that particular theory. Not that he would mind trying it, but he had no desire to come out of his cabin the next morning walking funny with a sore ass, to boot. Besides that, he simply didn't swing that way. No, he needed a woman, one who wouldn't mind pirating, and wouldn't complain too much. He did not need a lady who was high maintenance. Rather, he would probably want a pirate's daughter. What he didn't know was that the kind of lady he had in mind was right under his nose ...

Morning came and as the sun rose over the waves, Ben noticed that his captain seemed to have lost a lot of sleep the night previous. He went up behind him, broaching the subject a little coarsely, "You look like hell. What kept you up all night?" To be this blunt toward his captain was unlike Ben. However, if something was wrong, Ben wanted to know about it.

"So you noticed," said Shanks with only a slight amount of sarcasm in his voice. There was a quiet moment. Then, Shanks said something Ben thought he would never hear: "I need a wife."

If Ben had been eating anything at the moment, he would have choked. "You ... want a wife?" he asked.

"Yes, I want a ... Ben why are you looking at me like that?"

Ben was silent for a moment, then, choosing his words wisely, said, "I just never thought you would want to settle down. Are you planning on retiring?"

"No, but it's not that unusual for me to want a companion, is it?" asked Shanks, "I mean, no offense, Ben, you're attractive, but not that attractive. The point is I'm trying to make is -"

"You're lonely," interjected Ben.

"Not quite," corrected Shanks, "but no sex for months on end is not a good thing for any man." Shanks was quiet for a moment, then said, "You wouldn't happen to know any single women, would you?"

"There's only one that I can think of," said Ben, "and she happens to be Mihawk's adopted daughter."

"Daughter?" asked Shanks in disbelief, "I never knew he had a daughter. How old is she?"

"About twenty years old," replied Ben, "And I guess you got lucky, because Mihawk is looking for a man to marry her off to."

"Hmm," muttered Shanks, "this is rather convenient. Where are they currently?"

"Not far from here," said Ben, "probably in the next town."

"How far off is that?" asked Shanks.

"We should be able to get there in a matter of hours," Ben answered.

"Is she beautiful?" asked Shanks.

"Very," replied Ben, "However, from what I've heard, she's got a rather nasty temper on her when she gets mad."

"I can handle that," said Shanks.

"So, in other words," remarked Ben, "You want someone to sleep with on nights like last night."

"Yeah," replied Shanks with a smile, "and it wouldn't necessarily matter if she was good in bed."

"Why not?" asked Ben, "I thought you were looking for a woman to sleep with?"

"I could teach her what she needs to know," stated Shanks, "So long as she's willing, I don't care."

"I can't believe I'm hearing this," said Ben, grinning, with a voice full of sarcasm, "You, of all people, get married?"

"It's not that difficult an idea to conceive, Ben," Shanks grinned back, "I'm just tired of sleeping alone at night, and you're right. Most women aren't fit for a life like this one, and I know that, but I'm going crazy. I'm just thinking: a woman wouldn't be so bad."

"Well, it's good to know that you haven't lost your head," said Ben, "I was beginning to wonder."

"You don't need to worry, Ben," Shanks replied with a smile, "In the meantime, I've got a phone call to make."


	2. Chapter 2: Meeting the Bride

Chapter Two: Meeting the Bride

Tiffany Swartz © 2006

Disclaimer: I only own Calypso and "Karma" Lonni

B Berries

After having made arrangements with Mihawk, they decided that they were going to meet in Port Lodiya. After all, it was notoriously friendly to pirates. The daughter would be there as well, so he would be able to meet the bride. Normally, pirate weddings were a three day event. However, this particular wedding was going to be cut down to today and tomorrow. Nothing fancy, just a short ceremony, and that was it. These were the thoughts going through Shanks' mind as he walked down the streets of Lodiya. Finally, he found the building he was looking for: The Sakura Inn.

"Guess this is the place," he muttered, and walked inside. Just as he walked through the door, he saw Mihawk beckoning him by waving a hand over to the table. With him sat a young woman, covered head to tow in a black dress and veil, along with gloves. The only things that weren't covered up were her eyes. As was tradition, the daughter could not be seen before the wedding. Almost no skin could show, save a small area of her face. But he had to admire those beautiful eyes: bright ocean blue. He could lose himself in those eyes.

"So," he greeted the young woman, "You're Calypso." He smiled at her.

"Yes," she said quietly, but with a certain friendliness to her tone.

'Hmm,' he thought, 'She seems to like me. Guess we'd better get acquainted.' He turned to his friend, "Mihawk, I would like to spend some time alone with the girl, if that's alright with you. I want to get to know her better before we jump into anything."

"Thirty minutes," said Mihawk firmly, "Otherwise, I'll suspect something's up."

"That's fine," he said, "Come on, Calypso," he looked toward the girl, "We've got a lot to talk about."

He could see the smile in her eyes as she nodded. Together, the two of them walked out of the bar.

Shanks turned them onto a sunny street. "So," began Shanks, "what do you think about all this?"

There was a silence, then Calypso said shyly, "I don't mind it. My father told me that, once I was married to you, that I would have more freedom."

"How so?" Shanks asked, puzzled.

"Well, he told me that I was a woman now," she replied, "and that, once I was married to you, there would be no more restrictions on me as a daughter, because you would probably be more lenient with me."

"You know, he's probably right," laughed Shanks, "Mihawk can be a very serious man." Shanks smiled, and the two enjoyed a comfortable silence before he inquired, "So, do you know how to use a gun?"

"Yes," she answered, "but it's not really my forte. I'm better at knives and swords. I mean, I can aim and fire, but I'm not as good as most."

"That's alright," he said, "so long as you know how to use a weapon." She laughed. "What?" he asked in a playful, mock-angry manner.

"I like you," she said with a grin.

He turned to her, taking his one arm and pushing her up against a wall. She gave a gasp of surprise, and her eyes grew wide with some unknowing anticipation as to what would happen next. Those eyes. He could not escape those eyes. So blue. Almost perfect.

"You have very beautiful eyes," he muttered, musing at their flawless color, "Very beautiful."

"You think so?" she asked him, eyes wide, much like those of a curious child. She knew that they were crossing a fine line, but at the moment, she didn't seem to care.

He leaned in to kiss her over the veil that she wore, and she closed her eyes. "No," he said in a soft, firm, demanding tone, "Keep them open. Don't close your eyes. I want to see them." Leaning in, staring at those ocean blues, he kissed her over the veil that held the forbidden fruit of her mouth. It was soft at first, and time seemed to have stopped. However, as the time of the kiss lengthened, he pressed his lips harder against hers, finding her bottom lip underneath the veil, he gently worried at it, nibbling the soft, delicate flesh that lay underneath. She moaned and he pulled away, smiling. "I think we're going to get along just fine," he said.

"You really think so?" she asked, breathless.

"Yes," he said, then returned, seductively, "and I can't wait to take off that veil." She felt a heat accumulate in her stomach and giggled light-headed-ly at what had just happened. "Come on," said Shanks, smiling gently, "We need to get you back to your father. We're not married just yet, and I want to do things properly."

"How properly?" she asked, a twinkle of lust in her eyes.

"Properly properly," he said, "After the wedding, we can do whatever you want, but, for now, you have to follow your father's instruction. Now let's get you back there so that your father doesn't suspect." She gave a small laugh, and followed him back to The Sakura Inn.

Once back inside, Mihawk and Shanks discussed the arrangements of the wedding. They decided that they would hold it on Shanks' ship instead of in a church (Mihawk adamantly refused to step foot inside one) and that the dowry would be 2000 B ("and not one gold piece more," said Mihawk sternly, not usually so argumentative). Following tradition, it was at this point that Calypso could not talk to Shanks. While he could speak to her, she could not speak to him until the wedding. This symbolized the passing of the daughter from the father to the suitor, as well as the responsibility and limited control that came along with her. Still, Calypso didn't mind, and communicated with facial expressions when Shanks asked her any questions concerning the comfort of her situation.

"One more thing," said Shanks, "She'll be sleeping on my ship tonight."

Mihawk was silent for a moment, then said, "If I hear of that veil or any other clothing besides the gloves being removed, I'm calling the whole thing off."

"Mihawk, you know I wouldn't do that," said Shanks reassuringly, "Besides that, you sound against the wedding. You're the one who helped set it up in the first place. What's wrong?"

"I'm definitely not against the wedding," replied Mihawk, "I just want to follow tradition. Do whatever you want, I don't care, but no touching any of the skin covered, or below the waist. If the pirate's guild finds out about the breaking of tradition, they'll be sure to brand her a whore."

"Believe me, I know," said Shanks, "I just want to get to know her a little better, and I would be much more comfortable knowing that she's on my ship where I can see her." Mihawk looked at Shanks, and Shanks returned the stare. Silently, the two came to an agreement, and the meeting was over. It was Shanks who walked Calypso out of the bar that day.


	3. Chapter 3: PreWedding Midnight Interlud

Chapter Three: Pre-Wedding Midnight Interlude

Disclaimer: I only own Calypso and "Karma" Lonni

**Lime Warning!**

Captain "Red-Haired" Shanks was dead-tired when he headed back onto his ship. Calypso had already turned in for the night, so he wasn't too worried about her. All he wanted was to walk into his cabin and get some sleep.

Not to say that the day hadn't been enjoyable. It most certainly had. Lonni was Calypso's chaperon and he and his fiancé had spent a lot of time together. Of course, when it came time to eat, Calypso had to go to her cabin. There was no possible way that he would be able to see her face.

Quietly, he took off his shirt and boots, after of which he fell rather unceremoniously onto his narrow bunk.

The plans were already in motion (this of which he was thankful for), and he was quite content with his decision.

There were two things that he'd noticed about Cally, as he'd come to call her, and those two things were her figure and her eyes. Those beautiful blues were enough to haunt any man's mind. As for her figure, it was enough to make a whole lot of women jealous. Sure, there may have been a stereotype that a woman who was stick thin was most desirable, but, while they were pretty to look at, such women were sure to snap in half the moment the actual act started, and they were pretty bony, something of which, no matter how he tried, Shanks couldn't quite appreciate. Cally had all the necessary curves. He could easily that her chest was modestly bound, and that her breasts were probably bigger than most women, though not tastelessly huge. She had a slightly thick waist, perfect for a man to wrap his arms around without having to worry about breaking her in half. She might have been embarrassed about it when he mentioned it on board, but he liked the fact that she had a bit of a belly, and thought it was cute. She had ample hips with soft curves, probably very strong, giving her an hourglass figure that was enjoyable to look at. All in all, he was more than willing to see how adequate she was in the bedroom on their wedding night, and, inexperienced or not, he was sure that she would be a good lover. Yes, he could not wait to see what she looked like. If she was beautiful under the veil, then she must be even more lovely without it on. 'Without anything on,' he thought, giving a soft laugh.

Suddenly, he noticed something: the extreme quietness of a door being slowly opened. There was a whisper of cloth, and the soft padding of small feet. The door shut softly, and he slowly opened his eyes. Still clad in black and covered from head to toe stood Calypso, his Cally, with a rather anticipating look in her eyes. He sat up and smiled, saying softly in an ever-so-slightly lust-laced tone, "Come to visit before the wedding?" She nodded. "I take it you wanted to spend some alone time with me?" he rose from his bed and walked up to her. For some reason, she was shivering. "There's nothing to be worried about, Cally-chan," he said, "I don't mind you being here, and the traditions don't prohibit you from seeing me." He stopped, walked up to her, and touched her face, "Nor me from seeing you."

Shanks was quite aware of the rules: no touching below the waist and no touching skin of any kind unless it was the hands and facial area. He had no intentions of breaking the promise he'd made to Mihawk. However, that did not mean that he was completely prohibited from touching her at all. "Sit down," he motioned toward the bed. She did as she was bidden and he sat down beside her.'

Slowly, he brought his hand up to her face. She closed her eyes, unable to move, unable to think. This was pure bliss.

Shanks heard a small sigh of contentment and smiled. "Like that, do you?" She nodded her head slowly. Shanks brought her face closer to his, making her heart skip a beat. She could feel his breath on her face as he brought his lips to her eyes, giving each a gentle chaste kiss, slowly moving from one to the other. He smiled. Her skin was surprisingly soft, a velvety texture. It was hard to believe that she had flesh this smooth. She gave a delighted murmured, kept quiet by the soft shyness of her nature.

Tilting her chin back with two fingers, softly, through the almost erotic black silk and lace that covered the supple sweet treasure of her lips, he pressed his mouth to her own, feeling the softness give way. She gave a tiny moan as he grasped the back of her head, and the two did not move for a number of seconds. Then letting go of her head, he lightly stroke a finger down her cloth-covered neck, eliciting a slightly louder moan from her. Gently, he placed a hand over her mouth, shushing her quietly as he nuzzled his head into her neck.

Daring to go further with his little excursion, Shanks gently rubbed a hand on her heating belly, moving slowly up to her right breast. Kneading it gently, he received more moans from her, and chuckled in soft delight at this reaction. Circling an arm around her upper torso, he kissed both covered breasts and pulled her up for one last kiss. This one lasted longer. However, the moment could not last forever, and Shanks felt himself losing his grip on his self-control. Slowly, he pulled away.

"Go to bed, Cally," he whispered in her ear, smelling the musk of her shy eagerness for more touch, "We have a big day tomorrow, and an even bigger night." He looked into her anxious eyes, and kissed her forehead, "I promise that we'll do whatever you want when tomorrow night comes. But, for now, get some sleep. I want this, too, but it will have to wait."

Her eyes smiled at him as she walked out the door, giving him one last longing look before she turned and walked away, the door slowly closing behind her.


	4. Chapter 4: Wedding Night

Chapter Four: Cold Feet

Disclaimer: I don't own One Piece. I _do_ own Calypso and "Karma" Lonni

When Shanks opened his eyes, sunlight was streaming into the room through his window. He yawned, stretched and got up. He was just about to put on a clean shirt, when he saw something on the floor. Scratch that; some_one_. And that someone was Calypso.

'She must have gotten lonely in the middle of the night,' he thought, carefully using one arm to help lift her off the floor. He slung her over his shoulder and laid her down on the bed. Gently, he poked her in the shoulder.

"Mmm," she murmured in protest.

"Calypso," he said quietly, "it's time to get up."

"Huh?" she opened her eyes.

"Before this goes _any_ further," he said, scolding softly, "I would like to know why you sneaked in here in the middle of the night." Then, remembering that she couldn't speak, he smiled, "Never mind. We'll talk about it later. Now get to your room and get ready. The Wedding's going to be in about an hour, and I don't want to be late." She nodded. Getting up, she walked over to Shanks and hugged him, holding his body tightly to hers. She stayed that way for a minute, looking up at him, eyes filled with want. "I know," he chuckled softly, "I know. That will come _directly_ _after_ the wedding, I promise." In a low seductive voice, he whispered in her ear, "I'm just as anxious to get that damned veil off as you are. Now, go back to your room and get ready." She heaved a sigh, and he laughed, "Go on."

The wedding was a typical, Blue Ocean pirate's wedding. Members of the crew stood on either side, creating an isle for her to walk through. Silently, in her white wedding dress, complete with a white lace veil, this time covering her _entire_ face, she stood in between her father and Shanks. Slowly, carefully, Shanks removed the delicate garment. What he saw staring back at him was the most beautiful thing he'd ever set eyes upon. What he'd only gotten a taste of before, he was getting an eye-full of now.

Her face was unlike any he'd ever seen. She had a beautiful, heart-shaped face, with delicate, smooth cheeks. Her lips were luscious and pout-y. Her nose was small. Her hair, a beautiful thick mane of medium-dark brown. She also looked as though she was anticipating something, and _Shanks_ knew what that was. He kissed her softly. However, she wouldn't let him get much further than that. Everyone cheered, and he gently took her wrist and led her into his captain' quarters, just as he'd promised.

The moment they got there and _no one_ was looking, Cally dragged him in by his one arm and slammed the door with her other arm.

"Now, wait a minute!" Shanks laughed, "_I'm_ supposed to do that!" He looked at her, grinning, as he saw her chest heave and witnessed her facial expression, all the while saying, "You can't wait, can you?" She shook her head quickly, and he said in a playful, lusty tone, "Let's get you out of these clothes." Nearly ripping off what remained of the veil, his hand moved down to her bridal gown and quickly unlaced the back, loosening it up and allowing it to flutter to the ground. Looking at her, he could see that her breasts were bound by a special corset. She gave him a small, shy yet playful grin, and loosened it up, letting it fall to the floor with a 'clunk'. He looked at her and stared for a moment. Indeed, she had a bit of a belly, but she was beautiful to look at, and he didn't think that her breasts would be this appetizing. Reaching out, he was about to touch one, when one of her hands pushed him away. "What?" he asked, slightly confused. He heard a giggle, and she jumped up on the bed. He laughed, "So _that's_ your game, is it? Well, I'll catch you, yet." He heard another giggle as he reached out to grab her, and she jumped off the bed, and onto the simple chair of his desk, crouching, allowing her bounty to hang out a little, swinging slightly from the action. Shanks could feel his pants tightening, and said, "Okay, that's enough."

"I don't think so," she giggled, "I'm going to get you back for last night."

"Oh, really?" he asked, as she tried to elude him. He grabbed the back of her panties, which she somehow slipped out of, and she turned for a moment. He pushed her front up against a nearby wall, and gave her rump a good squeeze.

She gave a small moan, and whined, "That's not fair!"

"Haven't you heard the saying?" he said, still laughing, "'All's fair in love and war'!"

"Oh," she said, "I see." She turned around in his grasp, and let one of her hands stray to the hardness in his pants and returned the favor.

"You're doing a dangerous thing by doing that," he gave a sound that was a mixture of a groan and a growl.

"How so?" she breathed lustfully in his ear, "I _want_ this." She squeezed it again. If she had been shy and innocent before, she certainly wasn't now.

He pressed his body against hers and pressed his lips onto hers, damned near forcing his tongue inside out of want. She reached out, bit her nails into the back of his shirt and did the same, moaning as his tongue moved powerfully against hers.

She could feel a familiar wetness, along with her heat growing between her legs, and let out a moan, lifting a leg up and wrapping it around his waist, pulling him that much closer.

"Okay," he said, "No more games." With that, he wrapped his arm around her and pushed her to the bed, and she let go as he pushed her down, feeling her body bounce on the soft mattress and clean white sheets.

She reached out for him and pulled his shirt over his head, and he let her slide it off him, as she said, "If I'm to be naked, then _you're_ going to be naked, _too_."

"With that, I have to agree," he said with a grin, getting up and undoing his pants. She smiled lustilly, and allowed her eyes to travel down his body, where she found that he _had not_ be wearing any boxers or underwear of _any kind_ during the wedding.

She giggled, and thought, 'How sneaky!'

"What's so funny?" he asked playfully as his pants dropped to the floor, and his feet slipped out of his sandals.

"_You're_ not wearing any _underwear_," she giggled.

"Well, neither are you!" he said.

"Yes, but _I_ was wearing underwear _during_ the wedding, while _you_ weren't," she pointed out, "And if my father found out he would have _killed_ you!" She burst into to laughter, "The thought of my father chasing you around deck while you're running and trying to keep your pants up is actually pretty pretty damned funny!"

"Are you making fun of me?" he said in mock irritation, "You _really_ shouldn't be talking to your new husband like that."

"And what if I don't care?" she asked in a sultry tone.

"Then I suppose I'm going to have to punish you," he said with a playful, mischievous look in his eyes.

"Oh, really?" she asked, folding her arms and staring up at him, "I _dare_ you."

"Okay," he said, "You asked for it." Grappling with one arm, he flipped her over and gave her a light tap on the bottom, just enough to make a sound. She cried out in surprise, flipped herself back over and gave him a mock-annoyed look. "Told you," grinned Shanks.

She looked up at him and asked in a false innocence, "Shanks?"

"Yes?"

"Could you help me with these garters? I need to get these stockings off."

Shanks reached out and felt the ice-cream smoothness of her thighs, and she laid back, spread her legs, and moaned. "Now, now," said Shanks, "We'll get to that. You'll just have to wait."

"But why?" she whined.

"Because," he said grinning, "there's more to it than that, and delayed gratification is _always_ best. Trust me, I've been with a _lot_ of women. I should know."

"Well," she said in a low tone, "if _you've_ been with a lot of women, then _you_ should know _my_ body better than anybody else."

"I guess I should, shouldn't I?" smiled Shanks, who was getting an eye-full of her breasts. So round and smooth, pale, like alabaster, with perfect, pink nipples. Two cream-colored apples, ready to be plucked ..."

"Like them?" she asked softly, breaking into his thoughts.

"Oh, definitely," he replied, then giving a slight purr mixed with a growl, "Perfect."

"Then what are you going to do about it?" she asked seductively.

"You'll see," he smiled, and lied down next to her, burying his face in her neck.

"Ah!" she cried out, as he gently nibbled at the soft flesh there, the stubble of his beard tickling her skin. "Oh, Shanks!"

"Yes?" he asked, looked at her in an amused sort of manner.

"I – Ohhh!"

"I see," he said, grinning, as he nibbled down lower to her collar bone. Gently, he nipped at her skin, leaving each bit with a little lick, as he slowly made his way down to her breasts. Even when he finally reached one of flesh-colored half-globes, he deliberately avoided the pink points, making it that much more difficult for Calypso to regain control of the situation. In fact, she was failing marvolously.

"Shanks," she complained, "What are you _doing_?"

"Oh, nothing much," he murmured, grinning.

"Then why -" she stopped when he finally put his lips over one of the pink buds.

"That better?" he asked. She did nothing but moan in reply.

"I see that it is," he said softly. With a skill that not many really had, he attended to her right breast. Gently, he nibbled at it, gliding his tongue around it in long, sensual strokes. Calypso only murmured happilly in reply. Carefully, he gave it a little suck, pulled his mouth away, then blew softly on it, causing his new wife to shiver. He looked up a little and saw that her face was flushed, and upon it, there was a mask of extacy. Her fingers were burried deep in the sheets, and, he noticed as he looked down, her toes were beginning to curl. He gave a small laugh, and pinched the nipple of her other breast, rolling it around in his fingers. Giving it one last caress, he glided his hand down to her belly, rubbing it gently.

"This isn't fair," moaned Calypso.

"What isn't fair?" he asked softly, allowing his hand to roave down to the dark black curls just between her thighs. Softly, he ran his fingers through them, down straight to the wetness that had already accumulated there. With great care and slowness, he gently pushed two fingers up inside, just enough to curl up, hitting her sweet spot. Calypso cried out, unable to speak, and Shanks said in a rather loving, soothing manner, "You like that, don't you?" Calypso's breathing was beginning to turn into short gasps. Pulling his fingers out, he rubbed the folds on her outside, making sure that the tips of his fingers stroked the sensitive nerve area hidden under them before he withdrew his hand, and she bucked up lightly under him. He laughed softly, stroking her in an affectionate sort of manner on her inner thigh. Then, rising up, he lay down beside her.

He found that she was rather impatient. Immediately, both legs and arms were wrapped around his body. He smiled, amused. Bending his head down lower, he kissed her, and, for some reason, her body seemed to relax. Slowly, he pushed into her. Something was different, however. There was no barriar. Allowing her body get used to him, he asked softly, "Who was the one before me?" She looked shocked. "Never mind," he said, giving her a warm smile, "It doesn't matter at the moment. We'll talk about it later." Calypso gave a please murmur, then a moan as he began to move inside her.

'This feeling,' she thought before all words were lost, 'it's different. Different from him ...' Soon, her body began to roll with him, rising each time that he did, jutting hard up into him. Her cries grew louder, and he placed his lips on hers to quiet her so that nobody from the outside heard. He could feel her fingers gripping into his back as he gradually allowed his movements to rise in speed and pressure. "More," she begged, "Please!" With a soft groan, he did as she asked of him. Her body seemed perfect for him, as if she'd been built for him. Soon, that old familiar feeling began to wash over him. Holding his control, he waited for her.

Calypso's opening clenched tightly around him, her body and mind realing over the edge as he gave one last thrust, and did the same. Breathing hard, he fell, pulling her over so she lay on top of him. She held him close in a strong grip, as if she didn't want to let go.

"What's wrong?" he asked.

"Don't leave me," her voice spoke softly, almost breaking, "Don't leave me."

"Now _why_ would I do a thing like that?" he asked.

"Because you weren't the first," she said softly, "and I'm happy right now because I'm not alone, but I'm afraid that that's exactly what's going to happen, just _because_ you weren't the first."

"First, fifth, it doesn't matter," he murmured, stroking her hair, "but I _will_ be the last." She said nothing, but smiled and curled up closer to him, pulling the blanket up over them. He kissed her forehead, then giving a sigh, he watched as she fell asleep. She was a beautiful woman. He'd wondered how she'd ever wound up becoming a pirate in the first place. Silently, in his mind, he promised that he would never let her out of his sight. A woman like this was far too prescious to let go of, and he was certain that he wouldn't find another like her. He could very easilly fall in love with this one, and what would be the harm of letting himself, anyway? Holding her closely, he, himself, drifted off into a deep slumber, not to be awakened until the next morning.


End file.
